Kisses For A Hero
by Gothic-Romantic99
Summary: From the episode "Aideen's Choice." Rohan was not that clueless and he thanks Aideen for rescuing Deirdre. Rohan/Aideen


Disclaimer: I do not own The Mystic Knights of Tir na Nog.

Author's Note: This story takes place during the final scene of my favorite episode, "Aideen's Choice." It centers around Aideen, my favorite character, and Rohan. This story contains spoilers from that episode, so if you have not seen it, I recommend watching it before reading.

* * *

Deirdre smiled entering the room with Rohan at her side. The window proved to be the main source of illumination. She had released the armor in exchange for her regular clothes. Lacking the facemask allowed all the males present to stare in awe of her flawless beauty. Angus and Ivar, also having returned to their normal garb, grinned wide at the sight of their princess, each with their own reason for delight. Angus touched her arm, having all his wit removed upon the feel of her soft skin.

"Princess, you've been successfully retrieved," Ivar said.

"You proved yourself worthy in the princess' eyes?" Angus asked not hiding the jealousy in his voice.

Before Rohan could answer, Deirdre scoffed.

"I found him wondering around Maeve's castle ready to attack any shadow," Deirdre laughed.

"The rescuer got rescued," Ivar snickered.

Angus clutched Ivar's shoulder and joined in his laughter.

Rohan jeered at their attempts to mock him.

Deirdre bent down to pet her dog, a relief to touch something soft for a change. Her fingers were covered in cuts and scrapes, some fresh and others scars, from various battles. The dog kissed her then sniffed at the forming bruise on her wrist.

Rohan watched Deirdre's perfect, shiny hair bounce upon every movement of her arm. Her sweet smile poured out melodious, kind words to her pet. Even the battle wounds poking through her skin enhanced her beauty.

Angus envied Rohan's orders to save the princess from the sorceress' realm. He would have gladly thrown himself into danger, even if it meant death or having to endure harmless mockery as Rohan had, were it for a select amount of alone minutes with fair Deirdre.

Through the window came the flutter of bright, butterfly-like wings heavily sweeping through the air.

"Hello mystic knights," the sweet voice spoke.

The four of them glanced up to see the tiny fairy smiling back at them. She was dressed in her usual oranges and yellows.

"Aideen, I've been looking for you," Rohan said coming towards her.

"Missed me much?" Aideen asked with a smirk.

"More than you can imagine," Rohan replied.

"I'm small, but I have a big imagination," Aideen replied.

Rohan winced. He apologized with his eyes for any chance of a misunderstanding. Just recently he and the others teased her about her small figure. He never realized it would cause her to retreat from the kingdom when he needed her assistance.

"Where have you been?" Ivar asked.

Rohan looked up at the smiling fairy awaiting her answer. He had searched for her that afternoon to help him find Deirdre, yet she had disappeared. She rarely left during the middle of the day without giving some kind of notice.

"In Tir na Nog," Aideen replied. Rohan's worries left him. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

Deirdre stood up and gave a half smile. "Where do we start?" she asked. She and the others crowded around a table. Deirdre sat down in the seat and leaned forward.

"Angus and I faced a thousand Temran warriors. More than the eye can see," Ivar said making his way over to the table.

Angus sat down on the table's surface and said, "And then we summonded our armor. And just as we were about to engage." He snapped his fingers, "Like that they vanished. Like magic."

Aideen smiled, nervously twitching. Behind her eyes she still saw the shocked expression on the dark queen's face when the prism fell to the ground, smashing at her feet. Aideen was surprised she had the ability to make the prism multiply. Her magic was simple and she rarely used it for any purpose other than playing or incase of an emergency.

She had been warned many times by wizards and fairies alike that someone as innocent and naïve as herself would fall too deep into darkness if she ever resulted to black magic. She had already seen what a little jealousy caused her to do, resulting in her almost losing her friendship with both Deirdre and Rohan. Yet when her eyes appeared over the glimmering stone resting inside the velvet lining of the forbidden box she could not look away. Her fingers stroked its smooth edges. A power stirred up inside her heart. It was a red-orange hue, her favorite color. The flame on the torch flickered, sending a golden light through her irises.

Deirdre followed after the retreating guards. Maeve gripped her scepter and growled under her breath. Aideen took the opportunity to leap at what she could use to bargain with.

_Rohan will never take an interest in me. I must cease this selfishness. My jealousy has caused nothing but pain for the princess, my dearest friend. Once out of ignorance, but this time was deliberate, and my own fault. She's been only kind to me, and I've been a horrible friend in return. Forgive me, Deirdre. If I love Rohan the way I believe I do, I must allow him to have the one he loves. What good would a romantic love be if he does not feel the same way? I must return to the simple admiration._

Maeve realized the stone was gone and it shocked her to find Aideen holding it tightly in her hand. Having no knowledge of what the prism could do, or its relevance in the current battle, she simply offered it as a trade to the queen to be transformed back into a fairy. It was Maeve's dark magic that through Aideen's jealousy that changed her into a human and ultimately weaved into a spell to capture the princess, knowing the king would surrender to guarantee Deirdre's safety. Upon realizing her mistake Aideen returned to the castle to rescue the princess on her own. She succeeded then found the stone waiting for someone to pick it up. Despite many warnings, and her own doubt, she was able to harness the prism's power out of good will for her friends, thus earning a win for Kells.

"The village girl who rescued me seems to have vanished too," Deirdre said.

"I haven't seen her. Never even got her name," Rohan spoke.

Rohan stared up at the ceiling for the first time truly thinking of the maiden he had known for less than a day. Her hair held no comparison to Deirdre's, but he still found her blonde curls beautiful. Something about her, even at that moment, struck him as familiar. From the way she spoke, to her flighty movements, but especially her smile. He closed his eyes imagining her smile, so innocent and full of bliss. In thought he nearly fell off the chair.

"Too bad. I wanted to thank her," Deirdre said. She looked over at the three males and smirked as she said, "Now she was braver than any man I know." Aideen turned her face aside to hide the widening grin. "And handy with a long sword too."

Angus rolled his eyes and readied himself for a comeback when Aideen interrupted.

"Really?" she asked.

Rohan looked up at his dear friend and his smile suddenly fell. Aideen's gleaming face smiled brighter than Deirdre's ever had. He noticed her hair, though usually pulled up, consisted of golden curls. Even her voice reminded him much of the woman he recently met.

He suddenly remembered arguing with the maiden over the importance of fairies. It seemed improbable that anyone who had never met a fairy would think so little about them. Too lost in his own thoughts, he never noticed the honesty in her voice when asking him why he cared so much for a creature that small. Her eccentricities enticed him, but not enough to question her odd behavior further.

"You should've seen her, Aideen," Deirdre said. Rohan observed Aideen as the princess spoke. "All by herself she snuck into Maeve's castle and came to my aid." Aideen flashed a slightly embarrassed smile. Her face became pink. She looked away as often as possible. "She was amazing."

"She sounds like something special," Aideen silently responded.

Rohan shook his head and turned his eyes away. His mouth sat between a large smile and a surprised gape.

He blinked and said, "I would've gotten there sooner but I couldn't find my way."

Deirdre lightly snorted and said, "The girl had no problem finding me."

Deirdre darted her eyes over in Rohan's direction. Aideen began to laugh. Rohan stared up at her watching as her wings and limber legs allowed her to flip gracefully through the air. Through her quick movements he saw the villager's agility. The first thing he ever spoke to her was in the form of witty questioning if she thought she were a fairy.

"Alright, alright I'll admit it. She was quite the warrior," Angus replied.

Aideen finally lost her act and began to laugh heartily. The knights looked over at her, pointing then questioning the others.

"What's got into her?" Rohan asked.

"Silly fairy," Angus replied.

Aideen ceased her laughter and hovered upright once more. She smiled with her hands behind her back, her hips slightly swaying. No amount of power could remove the smile plastered on her face.

"Well, after a battle like that, I can use some food," Angus said hopping up from the table.

"Angus, we need not be concerned with that," Deirdre scolded.

"Well, princess, if we don't eat, what good will we be in battle?" Angus countered.

Deirdre pointed her finger and opened her mouth to speak, but all the words left her. She looked away and dropped her finger into her fist.

"I agree with Angus," Ivar said standing beside his friend.

"To the kitchen!" shouted Angus as he led the group out of the room.

Rohan reached out his hand towards Deirdre. She huffed and pushed him out of the way and headed for the door.

"Are you coming?" she asked, her hand still clutching the doorframe.

"In a minute," Rohan answered.

Deirdre flashed Rohan another sweet smile and slowly disappeared down the dimly lit hallway.

Rohan turned his attention to the fluttering fairy.

"Aideen," Rohan spoke softly.

Aideen smiled and flew closer to the human. Rohan put his index finger out. Aideen lightly stepped on his finger and stood with her hands nervously folded. She was lighter than he expected.

For the first time Rohan looked into Aideen's eyes. Indeed they were the same eyes he remembered on the face of the villager that morning. Rohan looked away, laughing at himself for not realizing sooner. Rohan sensed Aideen's legs shaking. He looked at her cherry face. Her temperature increased and palms became sweaty.

"It's good fortune that villager found Deirdre when she did," Rohan spoke raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm glad she was rescued," Aideen replied not looking at Rohan's face.

"It's good that woman found her in time."

Aideen nodded.

"You'd have done the same if you'd known?" Rohan asked.

"Of course," Aideen replied.

"It's tragic I never got her name," Rohan said. "Someone that brave, that loyal…that beautiful deserves to have a festival held in her honor."

Aideen's eyes lit up.

"You found her beautiful?" Aideen asked.

"Much," Rohan whispered. "Her smile was enough to bring delight in the walls of Maeve's dwelling."

Aideen covered her face with her hands and giggled. Rohan gently pushed Aideen's tiny hands away to reveal that smile he coveted.

"Did you find her fairer than the princess?" Aideen asked.

Rohan did not answer right away. Aideen's smile dropped.

"She had her own beauty, like Deirdre has hers," Rohan said.

Aideen rolled her eyes for it was just the answer she expected a male human to give. Her eyes suddenly widened as something crossed her mind.

"Rohan, you were not there in Maeve's castle when the warrior rescued Deirdre," Aideen gasped. "How did you know of her smile?"

Rohan put his lips up to Aideen's ear and whispered, "Because I am fortunate enough to have her smile light these halls every day."

Aideen's face became brighter.

"How did you?" Aideen asked. Her legs twitched along with her hands. Her entire body radiated heat. She began to trip over her words. "How'd you find out?"

Rohan placed his finger underneath the fairy's chin and lifted her eyes up to his. He could feel her heart racing against his callused fingertip.

"I'm not that dull," Rohan replied. "It may have taken some time, but I thank you for rescuing her."

"You won't tell the others?" Aideen asked.

Rohan stroked his chin with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"Rohan," Aideen said.

Rohan sighed and smiled. "Of course not," he replied.

"Should you join Deirdre and your friends?" Aideen asked.

"You are a friend," Rohan replied. "And I will not leave until I have thanked you properly."

"What…?" Aideen began but was soon cut off as Rohan's face moved closer to her body.

He lowered her towards her mouth and graced his lips against her face. Aideen's lungs ceased momentarily. Her heart pumped faster and she closed her eyes. The feel of Rohan's lips against her eyes, nose, and mouth consumed. Her lips puckered and she slowly returned the knight's kiss. Rohan and Aideen pulled away at the same time, each smiling with their eyes.

Aideen blushed and giggled. She flew away from Rohan and hovered in front of him.

"We mustn't keep the others waiting," Rohan said.

Aideen landed on Rohan's shoulder, hanging on to his shirt as they left the room.

"By the way," Rohan said. "You should leave your hair down more often."


End file.
